Who fears to speak of Easter week?

Gene Kerrigan makes the case that some in power only grudgingly commemorate 1916, but it's not a bad idea to include John Redmond

'Some have protested at the trolling banners, but their appearance on the Bank of Ireland building is a good thing. It’s useful to have such a prominent reminder of the values of our ungracious, uneasy establishment.' Photo: RollingNews.ie

Official Ireland has long appeared to be terribly nervous about commemorating the 1916 Rising. There's widespread public enthusiasm for the cultural and historical events, particularly among the young, but the Government can't shake off the impression that it feels obliged to do this, and may even benefit politically from it, but its heart isn't really in it.

Official Ireland has long appeared to be terribly nervous about commemorating the 1916 Rising. There's widespread public enthusiasm for the cultural and historical events, particularly among the young, but the Government can't shake off the impression that it feels obliged to do this, and may even benefit politically from it, but its heart isn't really in it.

It's as though, in dealing with the legacy of the struggle for independence, it finds itself in a land that's not quite its own.

There was a time, up to the late 1960s, when the politically correct thing to do was praise the 1916 Rising without qualification. Your attitude to the Rising was a litmus test indicating the purity of your Irishness.

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